User blog:LB25/Dead Space 3 Demo
Just got done playing the demo for DS3 the other day and it has renewed my excitement for the next installment in the series. After I entered my code for the download, I sat and played for almost an hour checking out everything except for the co-op portion which I assume I'll give a go eventually. First things first. The game feels and plays like Dead Space, which is great because you don't have to learn anything new (except for first time players). Controls and movement are what I expected them to be which helps deliver a better gaming experience. However, the one disappointment I did have was that the "roll" was non-existent. I was pretty excited to try dodging enemies by rolling only to find out that I couldn't, other then the usual strafe left and right (unless it was there and I just was hitting the wrong buttons). Also, the cover system was a little weird being that you could only take legitimate cover behind something if it was a small box, where you crouched like someone trying to take a dump while aiming for a shot. The new environment was actually a breath of fresh air (literally, since you're outside now) and looked beautiful. It's nice to see a little bit of a change in scenery instead of being thrown back into tight corridors and dark hallways all the time (although I have no doubt will get more of that through other points in the game). I think being outdoors will add a new element of surprise to the scares of DS3, seeing that you won't know where or when the next necro will appear from unlike the usual ventilation system. I like the new types of necromorphs they threw at us throughout the course of the demo. The first one introduced to us is the Waster, which I believe was initially called the Fodder before its name was changed. These guys are cloaked in what looks like yellow parkas while dual-wielding ice picks. They look like a formative foe, especially with weaponry that isn't their own. Next, we meet The Swarm. I would imagine it's the same for everyone, but I ran up on a couple of headless corpses that were quickly reanimated when these little crawlies attached themselves where the missing head would be. Subsequently, they started rushing me putting me back on the defensive. At times, they attack with their dead hosts firearms so there's multiple ways you need to prepare for these guys. And lastly, the Feeder was the final new iteration I ran into. They're eerily similar to the Pack from DS2 in that they attack in, well a pack. They're a little taller and very humanoid looking, but extremely fast. Trying to run from them and take down the giant drill was a helluva task, only leading me to believe that segment will be twice as hard in the full version. Other necros you run into are boss type variants, like the Snow Beast, which is akin to the Brute and the Nexus which is a Hivemind lookalike. Another new enemy we get introduced to are the Unitologist Soldiers. It's kinda weird fighting a living being as opposed to the necros for a change, but it changes bits of the game to become more of an action/third-person shooter instead of survival horror which a lot of people will not like. As long as this doesn't happen often it won't be too bad as I'm sure the main goal here is to broaden the reach of the DS universe to a wider audience, which I don't think they needed to do. The new weapon bench was a cool addition to the game, giving the player the ability to create their own personal arsenal, instead of using the same old guns from the past two installments. Also, the upgrades for guns are noticeably different as you won't be placing nodes all over the place to upgrade damage, capacity, and reload speed. Instead you get to upgrade your weapons based on your desires, so you don't have to follow a tree but instead your own free will. Part of me will miss the standard weapons and upgrades (which you can totally have if you want to) but the other part is excited to be able to band different guns and attachments together to create my own personal necro-destroying machine while making Isaac look and feel like he's the expert engineer he's supposed to be. All in all I enjoyed the demo for what it was and it made me all the more excited for the release of the game come February. I know things in the demo are bound to change for the full release but I hope the scare level will be amped up because I honestly didn't have a jump outta my seat kinda moment at all. But I'm gunna keep the faith because Visceral has made two pretty damn good games so far and I have no reason to believe the third won't be as good if not better. Overall: 8/10 Category:Blog posts